The Kids Are Alright
by beautiful.unusual
Summary: AU - Kendall Knight has lost it all and he's got a knack for running away from his problems. When he runs into the arms of the Diamonds, will he keep running?
1. I

Kendall twisted the bracelet on his wrist repeatedly, bouncing a foot against the brown tile of the waiting room. He sat this way for over an hour, after then he'd stopped looking at the clock. People wandered in and out, and Kendall watched as they did. One kid came in with a broken arm, another a leg. He was starting to think that the doctor wasn't going to come get him.

As the nurses switched shifts, Kendall darted past the automatic doors before they could close. The stench of bleach and chlorine was almost unbearable. With every room he passed, his skin crawled. Coughs, sniffles, screams and other horrendous noises rang through the fourteen year old's ears, a cacophony of the disabled and terminal. Kendall had been here enough to know how to navigate his way around. He went to the second floor and made his best sad face before finding a receptionist.

"Excuse me?" The woman looked up from behind the glass, flashing a smile. "Could you tell me what room Jennifer Knight is in? I'm her son."

The last time he'd said those words, he had become a big brother a few hours earlier. The portly woman directed him to Room 111. Kendall's favorite number. He tapped on the door twice before entering. The heavy door swung open, revealing his mother on the bed. She was hooked up to several different machines; a mask covering her mouth and nose, I.V's in both of her arms, and her red wig sitting on the windowsill nearby.

It had been a while since Kendall had seen her like this. After she'd started treatment, she vowed to keep up her appearance for him and Katie, even though the only thing that mattered to them was her health. He hadn't seen her look sick since she was diagnosed over three years ago. The blonde inched closer to his mother, gently taking her hand. Her eyes opened for a moment then fell closed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"What are you doing here, sweetie?" She tried to sit up, but Kendall ushered her back down. He moved from her side to grab a stool from the other side of the room and sat it next to the bed.

"I wanted to see you." She smiled weakly and ran a slow hand through Kendall's hair, stopping on his cheek. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, baby." The way Kendall looked at her would've broken her heart. He knew, and she knew that he knew, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying to keep his hopes up. "When I come home, I expect your room to be clean. _Katherine's too._"

The blonde nodded, biting his lip to keep the sobs he could feel in his chest from rising to the surface. "How's Lightning?"

"He's fine, mom."

"I know you're probably taking care of everything, like the little man you are." She pulled him closer, planting a kiss on his forehead. She coughed as she laid back down. Kendall couldn't help but cringe with every wheeze. He ran to the cabinet and grabbed a basin, knowing what was coming next. He placed the pink tub next to her and turned his head as she retched and heaved into it. He couldn't help but gag as he emptied the bucket into the toilet, flushing as he turned off the light. He pulled the door closed gently, and heard her speak from the other side of the room.

"You're an amazing kid, Kendall." He let go of the handle and shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to turn around because he knew exactly what she was doing. She was saying goodbye."I'm proud of you and I know you'll be the best example for your sister."

"Mom, please stop."

"You're going to grow up and be a wonderful man, just like your father was-"

"Mom, _stop it._"

"-and I love you and Katie with all my heart, okay?" Kendall turned to face her, tears running down his cheeks. "You know that right?" He nodded and made his way back over to her. She motioned for him to lay next to her and he did. He listened all night as she repeatedly told him how much she loved him and his sister, and how she knew he'd do great thing someday. He listened and held her hand until the machine rang monotonously. A continuous sound that left his ears ringing. As the doctors ran in, he slipped out of Room 111. One hundred and eleven was now his least favorite number in the world.

He ran past the nurses, past the portly receptionist, and down to the automatic doors.

"_Fuck_!" He screamed repeatedly, kicking the door. It wasn't long before a few RN's ran from the nearest office to try to calm him down. "Get off of me!" He shouted as he swatted at them aimlessly. He grabbed at one nurse's scrubs until her badge snapped back into his hand, he shoved it through the scanner, running out as soon as the doors cracked open. As he ran through the building's entrance, the realization kicked in. What was he supposed to do now?

* * *

A year later and he and Katie were still being bounced from foster home to foster home. Mostly because of Kendall's_ "delinquent behavior"_, most families only kept them around for a week or two.

"Why can't we just go home, Ken?" It was questions like these that made Kendall want to curl up and die. He hated the look on his sister's face every time they had to leave a house. He hated that he could hear her crying every night. He hated that she had nightmares all the time and he couldn't do anything about them. Mostly, he hated that he was such a huge disappointment and nothing that his mother believed he was.

"Because we don't have a home anymore." He could already see the tears welling up in her eyes, but he kept on. "Mom and dad are gone, Katie. The house is gone. Lightning's gone. We have _nothing_."

She cried herself to sleep again that night, mumbling something about not wanting her life, which made Kendall cry. This isn't the life that his sister should be living.

* * *

When the day came that a family came to the home looking to adopt a young girl, Katie tried her best to hide. They found her, and they loved her. Everyone always did.

"Why don't you just visit?" They'd always ask her, and usually she'd say that she wouldn't go anywhere without her brother, but Kendall had made her promise that she'd say yes. Of course, he wanted his sister to stay with him, but as the man of their family he had to do what was best for her. Keeping her in a group home definitely wasn't it, and with Kendall's record he knew they wouldn't be adopted together any time soon.

* * *

"I love you, okay?" Katie nodded, small hands latched together around her brother's neck. "With all my heart. You know that right?" She nodded again, pulling her hands away to wipe her eyes.

"I'm gonna miss you." Kendall smiled.

"I'll miss you too, but we'll see each other soon, okay?" He kissed her cheek and hugged her once more. "It isn't goodbye, alright?"

She nodded and Kendall watched as she got into the car. He smiled and waved, hoping that he was right. Even though they did have rules about keeping siblings connected, it was a flawed system and he knew that this could very well be the last time he ever saw his baby sister. He knew it was for the best though.

* * *

Another year had passed and Kendall was steady in his place at the home. Everyone avoided him, and no one cared that he didn't talk to or interact with anyone. He was furniture. He was the wallpaper. It was known that he was there, but his presence was never openly acknowledged except for lack of a better conversation.

"All of the kids are wonderful. All unique and lovely in their own little ways." Kendall looked over his shoulder, peeking into the office.

"Well, we can't handle an infant now, so we were thinking about _a child_. Toddler, maybe four or five but no older than ten." Kendall leaned in closer, listening to the couple converse with Mrs. Foster.

"Perfect. All of the toddlers are probably napping now, but the older kids are probably outside. Would you like a tour?" Before the couple could respond, a loud crash came from outside of the office door. "_Kendall_."

Kendall shot up from the floor, putting the chair back into place. "_Mrs. Foster_." The woman pinched the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths before Kendall decided to push a few more of her buttons. "Funny, her name's Foster and she runs a group home."

He nudged the man standing next to him and he sniggered, covering it with a cough when scrutinized by his wife. "Kendall, why don't you go outside and play basketball?"

"Do you know that there are dozens of carcinogens in the air _alone_?" She sighed, rubbing her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Not even counting UV rays. I'm trying to save my life, here." The blonde wandered back into the living room, flopping onto the couch with a book.

"Who is that?" Mrs. Foster looked up, confused.

"That's Kendall. Kendall Knight. He's sixteen."

"Our son's fifteen. _That could work._"

* * *

The last thing Kendall ever expected to hear come from Mrs. Foster's mouth was the phrase "_Adoptive visit._" When she said it, he ran to check the calendar. "It's not April first."

"_I'm not joking_. The Diamonds really showed interest in you. They want you to live with them for a while."

"What if I don't want to live with _them_?" She stopped folding his clothes and sat down next to him.

"Kendall, this is a big opportunity for you. You said yourself that when you turn eighteen you want to adopt your sister, right?" Kendall could feel his eyes start to water at the mere mention of being with Katie.

"What do they have to do with that?"

"They can help you get on your feet. Go to a good school, a nice college, get a good job and give your sister the life I know you want to give her." Kendall looked up at her, brows furrowed. "Don't you want that?"

She was guilt tripping him, and he knew it. Mrs. Foster was good at that. She wasn't mean, necessarily, but she was very manipulative when it came to getting the kids to do what was best for them. Whether it was something as simple as eating their vegetables or going on a home visit. She'd bat her eyelashes and use their dreams as weapons against them, practically puppeteering them into doing what she wanted. Sure, she was doing her job and making them all better people, but she had a sneaky way of doing it, and Kendall couldn't help but admire her for that.

"You play dirty, Foster." Kendall stuck out his hand and she shook it. "I respect that."

* * *

Kendall couldn't help but feel out of place when the Diamonds sent their driver, Jeremy to pick him up. As he sat in the back of the car, he twiddled with the tag on his bag before speaking up. "Where do the Diamonds live?"

"Now, Santa Barbara. Sometimes Cabo." Kendall sat farther down in his seat. Two houses. When his mom was alive, they could barely afford their _one_. "I believe they just bought a beach house in Oahu."

"That sounds very-" Kendall looked out the window and searched for a word that wouldn't be offensive. Snooty, ritzy, posh, frivolous. "_Hawaiian_."

* * *

"What if she's hot?" Carlos slapped the puck in Logan's direction, laughing when it almost knocked him over. "Dude, if you get a hot sister, I'm sorry. Nothing will stop me from trying to bang her."

"_Dude_!" Logan shook his head and Carlos threw up his arms in defense. "But seriously man, if she's attractive I'm coming over a lot more." He whacked the puck toward the goal and James blocked it.

"You guys are sick. My parents told me that I was getting a _baby_ sister _or_ brother." He twirled his stick and threw it on the lawn. "They didn't even tell me what it is."

"Are you excited?" James shrugged as he ripped the padding from his body. "You're gonna be an older brother, dude!"

Logan slapped his shoulder and James smiled. Sure, he was playing the cavalier card now but he was more excited than he'd ever been before. Yeah, James has friends. Carlos and Logan had been _like_ his brothers, but at the end of the day Carlos had siblings of his own and James was tired of being left alone when Logan's parents needed him home for family game nights. James had never had that. His parents loved him, which is why they worked so hard to give him everything he could ever need or want, but as a result that took the time away from family time. He'd see them once or twice a week, usually separately; lunch with his dad on the weekends, dinner with his mom during the week. It was nice to have things, but sometimes James just wanted someone to be there _with_ him.

He wanted someone to come to him for advice, or someone to tell about his day. He'd spent hours, even days listening to Carlos complain about his sister's obnoxious need to boy advice, or his brothers' incessant whining about him never playing Super Mario Bros. with them any more, but he could never understand why he hated it so much. Why he spent so much time trying to get away from them. If James had that, he'd never want to leave home.

"I've always wanted to be a big brother." He dropped down onto the curb, the horn from his mother's car pulling him back to reality. He ran over to the car, smiling when she rolled the window down.

"Hi, boys." Carlos and Logan smiled and waved before taking off toward James' wing of the house. He gave his mom a kiss and bounced anxiously. "He'll be here soon. You should go set up."

"_He_? So, _brother_?" His mom nodded, and he smiled. He kissed her once more and ran off. When James walked over, the boys were standing in the doorway ready to drop their things on the floor. "Nope! Put it outside. I want everything to be spotless."

"Since when does James like things to be clean?" Carlos quipped as he threw his things out onto the patio.

"Since I want to impress my little brother."

"Still don't understand why the hell you're so excited. He's _just_ a brother, you'll hate him in a few months."

"That's where you're wrong, 'Los." James flopped backwards on his bed. "I want to be the older brother that hangs out with him all the time. Talks to him about everything, gives him girl advice and all that stuff." Logan fell onto the beanbag chair, laughing.

"Heterosexual relationship advice from a gay guy? Really James?" James shrugged, pulling his legs under him to sit up straight.

"I still have experience with girls! I just want to be his best friend, _y'know_?" Carlos shook his head. "Well you have a family that's close. Tons of siblings and parents that are there for you every minute of every day. I don't have that."

James pulled a new shirt out of his drawer and threw it on the bed, tossing his old one into the hamper. "That why I want to _be_ that."

* * *

"We're here, sir." Kendall opened his eyes, not realizing that he'd fallen asleep. He rubbed his eyes and threw his bag over his shoulder.

"Call me Kendall," He stuck his hand out and Jeremy shook it before returning his to the wheel. "Thanks for the ride."

"It's my job, si-" Kendall cleared his throat and Jeremy laughed. "Kendall." The blonde smiled and stepped out of the car. This house was like a castle. Archways and gates surrounded the main entrance to the driveway, which was about as long as Kendall's old street. Large topiary's lined the walkway, winding into a long tunnel of sorts. It made Kendall uncomfortable. It made him feel too small.

"Kendall!" Mrs. Diamonds voice almost echoed from the front door, which was closer than it had seemed from the car. She walked over and held him tight. "I'm so glad you came."

"Well, how could I say no?" Kendall wasn't a fan of hugs. He didn't like feeling smothered, and to top it off Mrs. Diamonds perfume flooded his nostrils in a way worthy of gagging. When she finally released him, she lead him to the front. She stopped and pointed off toward the side of the house.

"That's where you'll be staying, but we'll tour the house first. Give James time to clean." James. He'd heard them talking with Mrs. Foster about James. Huge hockey jock on his way to the big leagues. Kendall was hoping to avoid him but he'd have to figure out how with them sharing a room. Although it wasn't just a room. James basically had his own house on the property. It was connected to the main building but somewhat like a large pool house. Why were they forcing them to share a room, if there were obviously more rooms in the house? Kendall couldn't tell. Mrs. Diamonds voice faded as she explained the different rooms. So many of them were obsolete, save for extremely specific occasions. One for tea with officials, one just for large family gatherings, but the one that caught Kendall's eye was,

"_The library_. Once upon a time, Mr. Diamond used to read a whole bunch. He'd never leave this place." She walked over to a chair in the corner and set her hands on it gently. "But now, it just sits here. Do you read a lot, Kendall?"

He'd meant to respond, but unknowingly he'd made his way to a shelf. Fingering the spines of the different dust-covered books, he read the titles to himself. They had all the classics; Jane Eyre, Catcher In The Rye, The Great Gatsby. Kendall was in literature heaven. He pulled a copy of Romeo and Juliet off of the shelf and opened it. As he skimmed through the pages, he hadn't even noticed Mrs. Diamond walking over to him. "I'm guessing you'll put this room to good use."

Kendall glanced up, smiling at her, and nodded. "_Good_. Someone needs to keep these things from collecting dust." She ruffled his hair and laughed, walking toward the door. Kendall followed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here.

* * *

As they approached the living room, Kendall could only hear the sounds of staged gunfire and screaming. Mrs. Diamond stopped, muttering something incoherent before turning to face him. "Wait right here, I'll be right back."

He could hear her say his name, then he heard someone shout something that sounded like "_He's here!_?" Just then, three boys raced out of the room, lead by a tall brunette who Kendall assumed was James. The huge smile on his face morphed into a confused scowl when his eyes landed on Kendall. "Who's this?"

"Honey," She scolded, slapping him on the wrist. "This is Kendall. Your brother." Kendall flinched at the word. They'd never be brothers. Ever. He didn't want to be apart of their family. He already had his own.

"Seriously?" She nodded enthusiastically, gripping Kendall's shoulders. "How old is he?"

"He's your age. _Perfect_ right?" James shook his head before pulling his mother to the side. Kendall knew he wasn't wanted here. He knew that before they'd even sealed the deal. This wasn't a place for him. He wasn't like the Diamonds. He could already feel the urge to run in his legs and it took him a while to consider the consequences. Before he could decide to flee, Mrs. Diamond clapped her hands together. "Dinner will be ready soon. Carlos, Logan, maybe you guys should go home."

The two boys nodded, the smaller of the two walking past him quickly. The other stopped, smiling before slapping him on the back. "Nice to meet you, man."

Kendall returned the smile and watched as they walked out. Mrs. Diamond and James had disappeared, but he could still hear them bickering over James' rudeness. Kendall would've left, but he couldn't remember how to get out. At this point, he didn't care about leaving. He just wanted to get away and be alone. He spotted a hallways to his right and followed it. It lead him to what he assumed was James' wing of the house. He kept walking toward the open door at the end of the hallway: James' bedroom. He walked in slowly, taking in all of the details. Technically, it was his room too. He threw his bag down on the bed he assumed was his and sat by the window.

"That's _my_ side." Kendall stood up and turned around. He watched as James walked over and grabbed his bag, dropping it on the bed opposite his. "_This_ is your side."

"Sorry. I didn't get the itinerary on the way in." James scoffed and flipped his hair before throwing himself onto his bed.

"Look, you don't want to be here. I don't really want you here. So let's just keep this visit cordial."

"I plan to." Kendall walked over to James bed, standing over him. "I actually don't plan on staying long." James laughed, sitting up to meet Kendall's glare.

"What? You're planning on walking back to Paso Robles?" He laughed again, this time falling back onto the bed. "It'll take you like, three days."

"I've walked farther. Believe me." He sat up again, wiping the tears from his eyes when he realized that Kendall was dead serious. "When I don't want to be somewhere, I don't stay."

"Whatever." James got up and walked to the door. "Oh yeah, sorry for the sheets. I wasn't really expecting _you_."

James slammed the door on his way out, yelling back toward the room about dinner being ready but Kendall wasn't hungry. He looked down at '_his_' bed and pulled back the covers, face twisting at the sight of the Spiderman bed set. He looked over at the nightstand, noticing a another set with flowers on the sheets and pillowcases. He couldn't fully hate James. Obviously he wanted to be a good brother, but Kendall wasn't what he expected. He didn't blame him for that, and he's pretty sure that his attitude hadn't helped. Either way, he didn't hate James. He hated the situation.

* * *

Kendall thought it would be easy to leave while James was sleeping, that was before James set the alarm on the back door. Slowly and quietly, Kendall maneuvered through the house, trying to find the front door. When he finally did, he reached for the handle.

"I'm trying, okay?"

"I know you're trying but what's the point if they're just gonna fight, hon?"

"If we give them time, they could learn to like each other. Hey! I bet they've already started bonding in the room."

"Maybe we should rethink this." Kendall slung his bag back onto his shoulder and sat next to the door.

"Maybe you should give the kid a chance before you condemn him. He's great and I know that when James gives him a chance, they'll be inseparable!"

"_He's a runner, Brooke_. He's got a history of running away and I'm just worried about being responsible for him."

"All he needs is a chance. For someone to want him, not treat him like a burden. Maybe then he'd stop running."

Kendall stood, flinging his bag to his other shoulder before trudging back to James' room. He kicked off his shoes, and slipped under the covers, sighing contently at the feeling of the sheets against his skin.

"-_decided to stay_?" The muffled remark came from under James' pillow. Kendall ignored it, turning to face the wall. He'd leave tomorrow. Tonight he'd get his first full night's sleep in two years.

* * *

_**Phew. 4,226 words. This took a lot out of me. It's an idea that's been whirling around in my head for a while. Loosely based on the **__**book, The Kids are Alright, obviously.**_

_**I guess I just decided that I sho**__**uld finally let it leap from the nest to see if it can fly. That's all I have to say. Review if you want, I love hearing what you all think, and enjoy. :)**_


	2. II

Kendall looked over at the clock when the buzzing, combined with the bass of possibly the loudest dubstep song ever, became too much for him. Four thirty in the morning. Why did James need to be up at four thirty in the morning? As if on cue, James stepped out of the bathroom, almost immediately dropping to the floor. Kendall sat up when the brunette started counting off push-ups.

"_Really_?" James looked up from the floor, effortlessly continuing his routine. "Four in the morning?"

"Best time to work out." He got up, switching into lunges. "Do a couple stretches, go for a run, eat a light breakfast. _Every_ morning at four." He winked at Kendall, pointing at him before running out the back door. The blonde threw his blanket over his head, hoping to accidentally smother himself.

* * *

When Kendall's eyes fluttered open, he looked at the clock again.

"_Eight o'five._" He smiled to himself, stretching before throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He stood and began his walk to the bathroom, tripping over James' clothes that were strewn across the floor. After he finished his business, he washed his hands and started toward the kitchen.

"But mom, he doesn't even like me!"

"I wouldn't like you either if my first impression of you was the attitude you gave him yesterday!" Kendall watched from the entryway as Mrs. Diamond circled the table, setting down plates. "When he comes down, I expect you to show him the hospitality he deserves."

James sighed and dug a fork into whatever was on his plate, exasperatedly chewing it before setting his fork down. Kendall cleared his throat to make his presence known and walked slowly over to the table, Mrs. Diamond meeting him halfway.

"How'd you sleep, sweetie?" Kendall smiled up at her, nodding. His want to leave was slowly clouding his manners and judgement. "That's good. You hungry? I made you some pancakes!"

Kendall sat across from James, ignoring the glare he was currently getting from the other side of the table. Mrs. Diamond scurried around the kitchen, grabbing different foods to place in front of Kendall. Pancakes, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, it was endless.

"I could also have Jeremy run out and get some muffins and doughnuts, if you want?" Kendall shook his head.

"This is more than enough. Thank you." It shocked Kendall when Mrs. Diamond scooted over, hugging him then pulling his face to hers to kiss his forehead. Kendall smiled when she released him. She walked over to James and did the same.

"Well, I've got to go." She took her things from a nearby counter, putting her bluetooth headset in her ear. "If you have any questions about anything, James would be more than happy to help you out." She kissed James' forehead once more on her way to the front door, yelling _'have fun you two!'_ before she closed it.

Kendall picked at everything. A bite of bacon, sliver of a pancake, a piece of watermelon, he wasn't one to eat full meals. His mother always told him that he ate like a bunny. On top of that, he could feel James' eyes boring into his head and that didn't exactly make for a comfortable eating environment. Kendall dropped his fork and looked up, shooting a glare across the table.

"What? What are you looking at?" James snickered and Kendall slammed his fist down on the table. "_What_!?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Kendall seethed, knowing that James was taking a stab at him. He grabbed a piece of bacon and left the room, aiming to find the library. When he did, he sat down in the big leather chair in the corner with a stack of books and prayed that no one would interrupt him.

* * *

_"Is this some weird orphan thing?" _When they found Kendall in the library, he was curled up in the chair with the book he'd been reading covering his face.

"Carlos!" The smaller one groaned when the other hit him on the back of the head. Kendall's eyes shot open. "Oh. _He lives!_"

"What do you want?" Kendall rubbed his eyes, searching the room for a clock.

"It's almost eight. James wanted to know if you wanted pizza."

"No, he didn't. He said he didn't car-" Another slap to the back of the head.

"Well,_ I wanted to know_ if you wanted pizza." Kendall set the book on his lap aside, folding the corner of the page before shutting it. Kendall got up, giving Logan a pat on the shoulder before leaving. He smiled to himself at the gesture. James groaned when Kendall strode into the room, snatching two slices before attempting to leave.

"You're not taking that into _my_ room." Kendall laughed and turned back around. "I refuse to clean your crumbs."

"I wasn't planning on going to _your_ room, jackass. I've been trying to _avoid_ your cum-crusted man cave." James' eyes widened, mouth agape in shock. "Yeah, you're not exactly quiet in the bathroom, Handsy."

With that, Kendall left the room. James huffed and threw himself against the couch, arms crossed tight over his chest. Logan and Carlos giggled in the corner, laughing harder when James shot them a glare.

"It's not funny!" By now they were rolling on the floor, Logan theatrically slapping his knee. "You guys don't understand, it's only been two days and I want him gone. He snores, he's insulting, and he's obviously unappreciative!"

"Unappreciative of what? From what I saw, he gets along with your mother. She's the only one who deserves his sincerity." Carlos nodded, taking the liberty of translating what Logan had sad.

"Yeah, dude. You haven't really been nice to him. Why should he be nice to you?" James groaned again. Why shouldn't he be nice to him? This was his house. He was staying in _his_ room. James was kind enough to open his arms to Kendall. _Figuratively_.

"Because he should." James couldn't have Carlos and Logan siding with Kendall. Especially not with school starting soon. Those were _his_ friends. _His_ crew. _Not_ Kendall's. _Ever_.

* * *

James walked into his room scoffing at the sight of Kendall reading on his bed. The blonde brushed it off, flipping to another page before setting the book down to rub his eyes.

"Sleepy from a long day of being an asshole, Blondie?" Kendall looked up, shooting him a glare. "Must be tiring."

Kendall tried to think of a witty retort, but James was right. Being an asshole _was_ tiring. He blew him off and continued reading, trying to find a comfortable place to set the book. His vision blurred attempting to read the tiny words. He stopped to rub his eyes again.

"Here." James tossed a black case near Kendall's legs. "You're squinting and it's freaking me out."

James sauntered into the bathroom and Kendall opened the case. A pair of black ray-ban glasses fell out onto his lap. He picked them up and put them on, smiling when the words on the page came in clear. He laid back in bed, continuing his book. He never noticed James looking on from the bathroom doorway. He Kendall wasn't what he expected but he was still _like_ a younger brother. There were so many things that James could teach him. Looking presentable, being the first of many. Kendall was like a baby deer in a pack of big-city lions. In the few weeks he was staying, James could at least teach him how to _act_ like a lion. He smiled to himself, picking up his toothbrush.

"He's my new project."

* * *

School started in three days. James had three short days to change Kendall completely. After his morning run, he cut his stretching short. He kicked the side of Kendall's bed until he stirred.

"Get up." Kendall shooed him away, turning over. "Kendall, I'm serious. _Get up._" This time giving him the finger, Kendall threw the covers over his head. James sighed, taking a sip from his water bottle before dumping it on the blonde's head. Kendall shot out of bed, sputtering and spewing curse words in James direction.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Take a shower. We're going to the mall." He threw a towel in Kendall's direction. "And wear something decent, please."

Kendall wiped his face. Who did James think he is? He gives Kendall one pair of glasses and suddenly they're best friends? Kendall wasn't going to go through with this. He hated James, he hated the mall. Why would he ruin his day with both?

* * *

Kendall sighed as James made his way into another store. He'd already been weighted down with bags, none of which were his.

"Will you hurry up?" James ran back, pushing Kendall into the store. Kendall stopped at the entrance, shaking his head. He refused to ever go into Hollister. It was a pact he made with himself. "Come on, man. My card's burning a hole in my pocket!"

"No. I refuse. Haven't you bought enough today?" James grabbed the front of Kendall's shirt, face stern.

"There's no such thing as '_enough_' when it comes to clothes." Somehow, he'd gotten Kendall into the store. Only because Kendall refused to kick and scream in public. The brunette buzzed from rack to rack, eyeing things before throwing them onto Kendall's lap.

"What are you doing?"

"Fixing you, go try them on." Before Kendall could protest, James held up and finger and shook his head. "Just go."

Kendall tried on outfit after outfit for what felt like hours. He was pretty sure that he'd contracted carpel tunnel from all of the button up shirts and jeans he'd tried on. By the end of James' _'fixing session'_, as he called it, he'd spent over 1,000 dollars. Kendall was sure that all of his clothes that he'd ever owned from birth 'til now had cost 1,000 dollars total. Then he started to think about his mom. She'd always tried so hard to give him and Katie the best, but working during chemo isn't easy. He felt like if she were watching over him right now, she'd feel inadequate because this is the life that she wanted for her kids and now her kids weren't even together to live it. Unaware that he'd started to cry, he wiped at his face quickly hoping that James hadn't seen.

"It won't be _that_ bad." Kendall looked over at James, puzzled. The brunette pointed toward the salon ahead and Kendall stopped. "What?"

"No way. _I'm not_. I refuse." James laughed.

"You said that about Hollister too, but I got you to do that. What makes you think I can't get you to do this?" Kendall dropped all of the bags, turning around and walking back the way they came. He heard James calling for him, but walked faster.

"I'm not doing it!" James caught up to him, Kendall had obviously forgotten that he runs every morning. "It's not happening, I'm sorry."

"Yes it is, I made appointments for both of us. If you're not going to get yours done, you're coming with me to get mine done."

Kendall sat in the waiting area for thirty minutes while James got his hair cut. He watched at the hair fell off his shoulders and onto the floor. It reminded him of the times his mom had cut his hair. Before he could think too deeply about the memories, James stood in front of the large mirror, admiring his new haircut. He pulled at it, tugging and teasing it in different directions.

"Yeah, great. Your hair's done, can we go now?" Kendall wanted nothing more than to go home and sit in bed with another book.

"Not until you get yours done." Kendall got up, ready to walk out of the salon. "You can run all you want, but I still have the keys."

Kendall growled, storming over to the chair. "Just get the damn thing over with." As the stylist cut into his hair, he inwardly apologized to his mom, somehow feeling like he was betraying her. He closed his eyes, blocking out the sounds of the scissors and James directing the stylist on what to do.

When they turned him to face the mirror, Kendall was pleasantly surprised. They'd cut his bangs shorter, swept them to the side, and given him somewhat of an undercut around the sides. It would take some getting used to, but he didn't mind it.

"Wow." James added. "So, you don't actually look twelve. It was just the hair." Of course, it couldn't have just been a compliment. No, this was James, it had to be underhanded. Kendall slapped his hand and got out of the chair, brushing his pants off.

"Can we leave now?"

* * *

"Look at you two! How cute!" Mrs. Diamond shouted as the two entered the room. James strode in confidently, obviously used to the attention. She moved toward Kendall slowly, smiling. "You look great, Kendall."

The blonde smiled awkwardly, attempting to run a hand through now nonexistent hair. "Thanks Mrs. Di-" She put up and hand and smiled.

"Call me Brooke." James shook his head, and trudged toward his room. Kendall followed and dumped the clothes on his bed.

"I actually had fun today." He smiled at the thought of James possibly enjoying his company. Maybe they could actually be frie-

"Then again, shopping is fun even if you hate the person you're with." Nope. They'll never been friends.

Kendall threw himself onto the bed, pulling out his glasses, and picking up where he'd left off in Moby Dick. He could see James watching in his peripheral vision as he folded their new clothes and separated them.

"How do you do that?" Kendall looked up, confused. "Read for fun." The blonde laughed, once again running and hand through hair that wasn't there. He'd have to kick that habit.

"It's fun for me. You shop. I read."

"So you mean to tell me that you don't get a rush from shopping?" Kendall shook his head.

"I'm more of a saver than a spender." James laughed, sitting between the piles of clothes. "I'd rather read and write."

"That's weird."

"Well, I like to exert myself. I don't like mindless tasks like shopping. _No offense_." But he'd meant to offend, and he was content with the look on James' face. James had a tendency to pout like a two year old when he was angry and Kendall was beginning to take a liking to causing it.

"Are you calling me dumb?" Kendall shrugged before sinking back into his book. "Well, I'm not!"

He nodded, not even bothering to look up from his book. James stood angrily, slamming the door on his way out of the room. Kendall laughed. Maybe he'd drop reading and make upsetting James his new hobby.

* * *

Dinner was awkward. Mrs. Diamond tried to keep conversation going between the two of them, but every topic always ended with a sarcastic comment from James and a nod or head shake from Kendall.

"What's going on with you two? You were fine earlier, you spent the whole day together!" Their response was the sound of forks hitting plates. "Do you guys like the same girl or something?"

Kendall laughed lightly, acknowledging the fact that she was trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Obviously James hadn't gotten it.

"He doesn't even know any of the girls around here, mom, and I don't even like girls so that wouldn't be a problem in the first place." Kendall bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh. James had been serious and while he enjoyed upsetting him, he didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"It was a joke, James. She was just joking." Mrs. Diamond laughed, which triggered Kendall and James stood up, throwing his napkin on the table before storming off toward his room.

"Honey, come on! We're only teasing."

* * *

Kendall flinched when the small ball flew in front of his face, hitting the wall before bouncing back to James. He sat down on the bed and folded his legs, facing the brunette.

"What?" James looked over at Kendall, anger obviously present on his face.

"Why'd you get so mad?"

"She's _my_ mom, I know when she's joking."

"That's why you're mad? Because Brooke and I were joking with you?"

"_See_! Even that." James stood over Kendall's bed, throwing the ball hard into the floor. "You have inside jokes, you call her _Brooke_, why don't you guys just fuck and get it over with?" He threw the ball in Kendall's direction while storming out of the room.

Kendall genuinely thought about following him to talk. That's what brothers do, right? But James wasn't actually his brother, and James _actually_ hated him. It wasn't family hate, with underlying love. It was pure hatred and Kendall couldn't help but feel like he shouldn't be in the same room with him because of it.

He grabbed his blanket and a few pillows and made his way to the library, confused when he saw the light on. He walked into the room and saw Mr. Diamond in his chair.

"Kendall." He set the book down, turning the seat to face the door. "What's wrong?" Kendall waved his book back and forth.

"Just getting another. Late night reading." Mr. Diamond nodded, gathering his things.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." As he walked by he ruffled Kendall's hair. "It's nice that someone in this house is reading. Get some sleep, though. You start school soon."

Kendall was almost one hundred percent positive that James had been listening. He could hear him banging against the wall from the living room. He walked over, peeking in to the room to see James angrily jabbing at the buttons of the X-Box controller. For a minute, he felt bad. But it's not like he was purposely stealing James' time with his parents. He didn't ask for that. He didn't ask for any of this. If it were his decision, he'd gladly be living in another universe where his parents hadn't died.

He'd _love_ to be anywhere but here.

* * *

_The Weasley Way, Morte Giver, Powah, tank602, Angel436, Mr. President 64, CUTE CARGAN LOVE, XxKogan1fanxX, and 0verdramatic_; **Thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews. I'm glad you all enjoyed it. :)**

**I read over this chapter at least seven times but if any spelling or grammar mistakes slipped by me, I apologize. Enjoy and I'd love to hear what you think. :)**


	3. III

Kendall pulled at the tie around his neck, loosening the knot. He didn't like ties, nor did he like blazers or khakis or dress shoes. He liked comfortable clothes. Jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. The new uniform thing wasn't sitting too well with him.

"You look fine." He looked away from the mirror and saw Brooke wander in to put a bag on the foot of his bed. She walked over to him, turning him around and placing her hands on his shoulders. "I remember when James started at Harrington."

She went on for a few minutes about James' first day, and how excited he was to be in school. He'd spent weeks before trying on his uniform and foreshadowing all the friends he'd make. Kendall smiled as she went on. Younger James sounded quite endearing. Where did this older one come from?

As if cued by Kendall's thoughts, the brunette sauntered into the room, pants throw over his shoulder and his hair a mess. "James, you're not ready yet? We have to leave in ten minu-"

"Carlos is giving me a ride." Kendall mentally prayed that Brooke wasn't the type of parent to push people into their kids' plans.

"Well, why don't you guys bring Kendall? Bonding time!" Kendall sighed. She was definitely one of those parents. James turned sharply, clothes almost flying out of his hand.

"Mom." She patted Kendall's knee twice and got up to leave the room, James following behind her. While no one was around, Kendall shoved his sneakers into his bag. There was no way he was dealing with these shoes all day.

* * *

Kendall waited in the entryway to the house as Mrs. Diamond prattled on about emergency numbers. He hadn't focused again, until she looks at him excitedly.

"Open the bag." Kendall slowly unzipped the black bag she'd left on his bed earlier. Inside, an iPhone, credit card, wallet, and a set of keys that Kendall assumed were to the house. "All stuff that I assumed you'd need."

"Wow, I-" Kendall didn't know what to say. Not only had he been dropped into an insanely rich family, he'd been dropped into a _generous_ insanely rich family. Kendall's old cell phone was a little, Nokia bar phone. It wasn't extravagant. Didn't have all the bells and whistles but it was useful in emergencies and never broke when he dropped it. It was solid, and sturdy. The blonde pulled the credit card out and slipped it into the first slot of his new wallet. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, sweetie." She ruffled his hair, then combed it back into place with her fingers. "The keys are for when you join any clubs, or stay late, or find people to hang out with after school."

"Yeah, like that'll happen." James scoffed and walked out the door when he heard Carlos' horn. Kendall bit his lip. For the first time in his week here, he agreed with the brunette. There was no way he'd fit in with kids like James. Privileged kids with their smart phones and 90210 haircuts. As he shook his bangs out of his eyes and clutched his iPhone 4s, that was when Kendall realized that he technically was one of those kids, now.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." She adjusted Kendall's jacket and smiled, pulling him close. "Have fun, today."

* * *

The ride was awkward. Kendall could tell that James didn't want him interacting with his friends and that was fine. He didn't mind. They didn't seem like they'd get along anyway, but sitting in the backseat of a car while the people around you obviously talk about you isn't exactly how Kendall would choose to spend a morning.

Harrington Academy was like a castle. No. It was _larger_ than a castle. Kendall stared up at the building, less in awe and more frightened that he'd have to navigate it alone. He'd assumed that James would at least help him to the first class, but he ran over to a large group of awaiting kids and disappeared onto the school grounds before Kendall could even ask where the bathroom was.

After taking at least a dozen turns and walking down a dozen different hallways Kendall had given up on finding the front office and instead opted for any classroom with a teacher. He dug into his bag, hoping that maybe he could google a map of the school with his new phone.

"Why have all of these classrooms if no one's teaching in them-" Upon looking up from his bag, he connected with the person in front of him. He only took a minute to fear what would happen to him before gathering the person's books that had fallen. "Here."

The person had been a girl. She had red hair and was literally every guy's fantasy of a schoolgirl. Short skirt, low buttoned shirt, knee-high socks, but the first thing Kendall noticed was her shoes. "Nice boots."

"Thanks. They're new." He took in the rest of her outfit, and read all the buttons that lined her blazer. From political opinions to punk rock bands. "I'm Lucy."

Kendall shook her hand and practically whispered his name, shooting her a confused glare when she pulled his hand closer to her face. "You've got calluses. You play?" Kendall shook his head, he hadn't played guitar since his mom died. Didn't have the resources or the drive to do it.

"But you knew what I was talking about, so obviously _you have._" She arched an eyebrow and smirked.

"I play a little." She grabbed a pen from behind her ear and pulled his hand back to her. She scribbled something quickly on his hand, then shoved the pen back to its original spot.

"Be here at 3:45 tomorrow, please?" She put her hands together and stuck out her bottom lip until Kendall nodded and she smiled. "Oh, and Political Science is in Room 407. You need to go up a floor." She waved and took off down the hall. Kendall smiled on his way up the stairs. He made a friend.

* * *

Kendall was late to almost every class, a great way to start off Junior year, but he was getting a feel for the school. People seemed genuinely interested in him. Apparently Harrington didn't get many new students that weren't related to those previous.

James had made it clear around break time that Kendall wasn't supposed to tell people that they were adoptive 'brothers', but it wasn't like Kendall wanted to. So when it came time for the blonde to introduce himself to a class, he would just say that he'd recently moved into the area, and leave it at that.

The part of the day that Kendall had been dreading the most was lunch. Even in fancy private schools, they still have a cafeteria and cafeterias are exactly the same no matter where you are. People sit with who they like and if you sit with the wrong people, it can ruin your life.

"Kendall!" He turned, grabbing his soda before it could fall. He saw Lucy standing on a chair, waving him over and he inwardly thanked every god in existence. He set his food down, and sat down next to the redhead. "Guys, this is Kendall. He's _hopefully_ gonna be our new guitarist."

Kendall smiled and looked around the table.

"That's Dak, and that's Jo. Dak's on drums and Jo bounces between keys and vocals." Jo waved and Dak nodded before diving headfirst back into his nachos.

"And you're bass?"

"Lucky guess, Knight." Kendall cocked his head to the side and opened his mouth to ask. "I checked the school's network."

"And by checked she means she snuck into Principal C's computer again, _Lucy_!" The redhead shrugged and Jo sighed. "You're going to get in trouble for that one day."

"He deserves it. He's the one that set the school's system password to '_harringt0n_' with a zero. Who does that?"

"It said that your guardians are Brooke and Phil Diamond, is that true?" Dak pressed, finally looking up from the synthetic cheese he was shoveling into his mouth. "So, are you like their kid? You and James are brothers?"

"_No way_. It's just a temporary living situation."

"Why?" The blonde girl inquired, twirling her hair around her finger.

"Because it just is." Kendall had made it obvious that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. When lunch was over the girls made their leave, having to walk in the opposite direction of Dak and Kendall's shared class.

"I kinda know how you feel." Kendall looked up, waiting for Dak to continue. "I don't know _your_ story but my dad left when I was real young. My mom was on drugs really bad for a while, so they sent my little brother and I to live with my aunt and uncle. I'm here on scholarship. Couldn't afford it otherwise."

Kendall nodded, taking Dak's story in. And to think, this morning he thought the school was full of shallow rich kids. At least someone understood him.

"In middle school I used to get picked on a lot for not having things that everyone had. My aunt taught me that the way to get over it was by taking pride in who you are as a person, because you'll soon realize that most of the kids around here are really dumb and immature."

Kendall laughed. Dak was obviously a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. He could definitely see a potential friendship there. When they got into the classroom, Dak chose two seats close to the window. Kendall looked at the board, reading the quickly scrawled '_be back in 30 minutes, read two chapters_' before pulling his book from his backpack. It only took him five minutes, so Kendall took time to look around the room. There were only nine or ten kids. Kendall read that Harrington had small, intimate classes, but _only nine kids_?

Just then, the door swung open and the once silent room was now filled with the raucous laughter of none other than Kendall's annoying roommate and company. James pranced to the back of the room, following an obnoxious blonde who was very obviously fond of himself. Behind them, Carlos, Logan, and three girls dressed identically that walked in sync. Almost robotically.

Kendall sighed, obviously too loud because James pulled off his sunglasses and looked toward the front of the room. "No _fucking_ way."

Kendall turned to face him, smiling sarcastically before turning back around.

"I've managed to avoid you all day, but they just _had_ to put you in this class." The brunette made his way to the front of the room, hovering over Kendall's desk when he got there. "No way. You _have_ to switch."

"I don't _have_ to do anything, James. Do you even belong in AP Lit? Can you even read?" A series of 'ooh's came from the back of the room and James' face turned a shade of red Kendall didn't think was possible.

"Switch out or I'll make your life hell."

"There's nothing you can do to make my life more of a hell than it's already been. I, however, have more on you than you'll ever have on me." James shot him a mocking glare and Kendall stood in the front of the room.

"James Diamond talks in his sleep. He has dreams about someone named Jett fucking him senseless, he wishes he would whisk him away to a remote, romantic, tropical place to do so, and he secretly likes the taste of his own jiz-" James slapped his hand over the blonde's mouth and looked toward the back of the room.

"I'm going to kill you."

"I've wished I was dead for six years. Go right ahead." Kendall slapped his hand away and threw his things in his bag, pushing past the wooden door. James watched him leave the room and realized that he may have taken it a step too far. When he looked back to his friends, Jett and the Jennifers were too busy laughing to notice Carlos and Logan's upset expressions. He ran over to the door and pushed it open.

"Where are you going?" Kendall stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning to face the brunette.

"Anywhere but here." James dropped his head against the doorway, looking back up when Dak Zevon raced past him to catch up with Kendall, who waited for him to fall into step. James was hurt. The one time he tried to be a good brother, Kendall pushed him away and chose a complete stranger instead? Dak was weird. Dak was a loner. What did he want with Kendall anyway? Sure maybe James had been a little mean and demanding but come on, they were brothers. That was what brothers did, or so he thought. Before he could think any harder on the subject, Jett came up behind him, slipping his arms around James' waist.

"So babe, if you want to have sex I can make that happen." He licked the shell of the brunette's ear, blowing on it before adding, "You just need to give up on that _stupid_ rule of yours."

Jett kissed behind James' ear, making him flinch. James' number one rule in a relationship was no sex. It wasn't _until marriage_, per se, but James didn't want to just throw his body around. His body was his temple. His work of art, to be cliché. He worked hard to make himself look and feel good, which gave him the privilege of enjoying his own body. One would have to work as hard to get to enjoy it with him. Jett thought it was stupid, and he made that very clear, but James was adamant. He only had one rule, and he planned on sticking to it. But, Kendall had to go and tell Jett that he had a few wet dreams here and there and boom. There went his credibility with Jett. And Kendall would pay for that. James would find a way to make that happen.

* * *

Kendall and Dak walked around town for a while before just deciding to stop at the mall. The two walked to the food court and sat down at a table in the middle. "I love coming here and just watching people sometimes."

Kendall nodded in agreement and set his bag down next to him.

"Why do you and James hate each other so much?" The blonde sat up, folding his hands in his lap. "I mean, he never seemed that bad to me. It was always his boyfriend."

"Well, I'm sure that they're both as horrible and you just haven't seen it yet."

"I'm pretty sure it's just Jett. James used to be okay with everyone. He'd talk to people he didn't 'hang out' with, he was a great class president, fair with the hockey team. I mean hey, he let me play and I sucked." He laughed wryly and ran a hand through his hair.

"When did they start dating?"

"End of sophomore year." He took a swig from his water bottle, then laughed. "After Jett supposedly got one of the girls in our grade pregnant. He used to be the hottest guy in our class but after that, he became the most popular outcast."

Kendall didn't know Jett, but he didn't like him. He had always been told not to judge a book by its cover but if you see a book that's disgusting and moldy and water stained on the outside, you can only imagine what it's like on the inside.

* * *

Kendall called Jeremy to give them a ride to the Diamond house. Since the two of them had no homework, and Dak lived close by, they occupied the living room, Dak teaching Kendall about Call of Duty.

"I've never played, you can't expect me to be amazing without playing!" The two of them didn't notice James looking in from the door until Carlos spoke up.

"What are you doing?" Dak paused the game and set his controller on the couch, next to him. "This is our spot after school."

"They were here first, guys. Let's just go to your room." Logan nudged James with his free arm and pulled Carlos toward James' room.

"First you ruin school, now you're ruining my after school. When are you leaving, again?" With that, James left. For some reason, that hurt Kendall more than it had before. His face fall into his hands once the door was closed, and he screamed into the pillow on his lap.

Dak scooted closer to the blonde, rubbing awkward circles on his back. "Y-you want to talk about it?"

"I just want to go home, but there's no home to go to. I miss my mom and dad, I miss my sister, I just want my old life back. I hate it here, I hate everyone in this house, I hate that stupid school, I just hate everything."

"You have a sister?" Kendall nodded, not bothering to lift his head. "How old is she?"

"She's thirteen. I haven't seen her in two years." Kendall went on to explain his life story to Dak, as the brunette continued to rub his back. "I hate it here."

"You'll get used to it. I mean, having an amazing house like this is way better than having nowhere to live, right?" The blonde nodded, sitting up to wipe his eyes. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone you whined like a little baby."

Kendall whacked his shoulder and laughed. He'd only known Dak for eight hours but he was a better brother figure to Kendall than James was.

* * *

After Dak went home, Kendall reluctantly made his was back to James' room. He walked in and sat on his bed, pulling his shoes from his feet and kicking them under it.

"You and your boyfriend done ruining my day?" Kendall pulled the covers over his head, ignoring the brunette completely. "_Hey_."

"What?" Kendall responded with the blanket still covering his head.

"No witty remark? Sarcastic retort?" Kendall shook his head. "No comeback, at all?" Kendall sat up, sighing.

"I'm _tired_, James. I had a long day, and I really don't feel like dealing with your shit. We both know that these next few weeks would go by much faster if we just didn't talk to each other. So just don't talk to me. I'm wallpaper. I'm _furniture_. By all means, acknowledge that I'm here, but don't talk to me, or about me and I won't talk to you."

Kendall laid back down, pulling the comforter back over his head for when James had more to add. The next three weeks would be hard enough for Kendall to live through with James' constant harassment. He heard James get into bed and figured that he was a safe for the night.

* * *

After school the next day, Kendall tried to remember what room Lucy had told them to meet in. Like an idiot, he took a shower and forgot the write it down first. As he rounded the third floor for the third time, he saw Dak leaning on the door frame of room 311.

"Hey, crybaby." Kendall slapped Dak's arm on his way into the room, which had turned out to be the band room. He should've thought of that before scouring the building. "We were hoping you'd show up."

"Why wouldn't I?" While Dak tried to word what was going through his head, Lucy stepped in.

"Dak told us you won't be here for long. A month? Or somethin' like that."

"I can't play with you guys until then?" Jo bit her lip and jumped down from the ledge she was sitting on.

"We were looking for long term." She walked over to the group and twirled her hair around her finger. Kendall couldn't really place whether that was a nervous tic or if she was flirting with him. Either way, it made him anxious. "But it's cool with me if it's cool with the guys." Dak looked over to Lucy who looked back at Kendall.

"Well, you have to play for us first!" She kicked a stool from under the table, over to Kendall. He pulled it under him and sat down. Jo handed him the guitar case and scurried over to where she'd been sitting before. Kendall smiled when he opened the black bag. The guitar inside looked new, and it felt amazing just to have one in his hands again. He strummed out a few test chords before actually starting into the song, one he'd written for his mom a few years back. His fingers slid across the strings almost effortlessly, save a few catches here and there. When he finished, he set the guitar in his lap, waiting for a response.

It was Lucy who started clapping first. He looked up when Jo joined her, and Dak smiled from the other side of the room.

"Welcome to the band."

* * *

After practice they all walked to Dak's parent's store. They stole a few drinks and pizza strips before walking to the park nearby.

"So Kendall," Jo started. When Kendall looked over at her, she averted her gaze. "You single?"

"Very." He bit into the dough and chewed it, swallowing before finishing his answer. "I barely even know anyone here."

"What about back home? Did you have a girlfriend there?" she started twirling her hair around her finger again, and Kendall laughed.

"Actually before my mom died, I dated this kid named Wally." Jo's eyes widened and he couldn't help but laugh. "But then I stopped having time to hang out with him and he got really into rap, then we just drifted apart."

It was silent for a while and Kendall wondered if he'd driven his new friends away.

"So you're gay?"

"No completely, but I guess you could say that."

"Damn it!" The blonde got up and stomped to the trashcan, angrily throwing her stuff in before folding her arms. "Why are all the good ones at this damn school gay!?" They all laughed as Jo stomped around, kicking clumps of grass and Dak leaned over to Kendall.

"This is all my fault, you know." Kendall asked how and Lucy laughed.

"Freshman year, Jo and Dak were the class power couple. Then Dak was like '_Ooh, penis!_' and he dumped her."

"Shut up." Dak shoved Lucy over and turned to Kendall again. "I didn't _dump_ her, I just told her that she was great and amazing, but I couldn't be the guy she wanted."

"Yeah, and you cursed me! Jackass." Dak pulled Jo close and kissed her forehead.

* * *

On their walk home, Lucy and Jo both walked off in a different direction, leaving Kendall and Dak to walk together.

"I hope you know that to stay in the band, Lucy's going to make you do an initiation prank."

"What kind of prank?"

"Something to embarrass you. That, or she'll just do it herself." Kendall shoved his hands into his pockets.

"What did she do to you?"

"Well, I _chose_ to run across the football field in my underwear." He laughed to himself then face the blonde. "Jo's shy, so Lucy changed the school's lunch menu before they printed it out. So everywhere they posted it around the school listed 'tater tots, nachos, and piece of Jo Taylor's ass.'"

"She really did that?"

"Yup. Let's just say most of the guys in school weren't ordering nachos. _Or tater tots_." As they approached the Diamond house, Dak prepared himself to walk the next block alone, but Kendall stayed with him. "You know that's your place right there, right?"

"I know." Kendall looked back and shuddered. "The more time away from James, the better."

"You know you can stay over, if it's that bad? I mean, my parents stay late at the store anyway." Kendall smirked.

"Suggesting I stay over when your parents aren't around? Dak Zevon, what kind of boy do you think I am?"

"N-no! Not like that. I just- I know that you hate James, and I wouldn't w-want to l-live with him-" Kendall laughed, setting a hand on Dak's shoulder.

"Dude, I'm kidding." Dak sighed shakily, and Kendall laughed a little harder. "I didn't know you stuttered. It's cute." Kendall giggled when Dak's cheeks turned pink and ran back to the Diamond house, entering through the back door that led directly into James' room.

"You're late." The brunette exclaimed from the bathroom, poking his head around the corner.

"I'm not staying." James moved to spit his toothpaste into the sink and wiped his face, entering the room.

"Oh really?" He laughed. "Where are you planning on going?"

"Dak invited me over."

"Aww. You're gonna go sleep with your boyfriend, how cute." James puckered his lips and made kissy noises, which soon transitioned into fake moaning and thrusting. Kendall took a pillow from his bed and threw it at him, throwing a few outfits and his uniform into his bag. "You should really learn how to take a joke, Kendall."

"You should really learn to stop being such a dick, James." Kendall picked up the bag, and ran out the door.

James was really starting to become a major annoyance.

* * *

**Well, here it is. A nice long filler chapter before anything interesting happens. :)**


	4. IV

Early the next morning, Dak's mother had given the boys a ride to school. Repeatedly she'd 'quietly' asked Dak if they were dating, to which Dak would reply with an angry, yet hushed:

"Lynn! You're embarrassing me!" He slipped farther down into his seat, hoping to disappear. Kendall, and Dak's brother Drew, laughed at Mrs. Zevon's hopeless confusion about why her son was so acting this way. Dak covered his face with his hands, and shot out of the car as soon as they stopped in front of the school.

"Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Zevon." Kendall jumped over the front seat after Drew, looking over to find Dak waiting at the school's entrance.

"You're very welcome, sweetie." She pulled out two bags and leaned close to hand them to him. "I packed you a lunch too."

Kendall smiled, and tucked them both into his bag. "Thanks again." She smiled back, and drove off once he closed the door.

"Thank god she's gone."

"Be happy you have her, dude." Dak sighed. He'd definitely forgotten who he was talking to for a minute. "Even if she's had issues."

"Yeah, she's trying." He gripped the straps of his backpack and Kendall pulled out his lunch. "She made these?"

"I guess so. She gave 'em to me after you ran off." He nudged him and Dak laughed, taking the brown bag and stuffing it into his backpack.

"So," Kendall started, waiting for Dak's focus to return to him. "You call your mom by her first name?"

"Well, yeah. She always had us call her Lynn. She never really _wanted_ to be a mother before."

"And you call your aunt and uncle-"

"My parents." He chuckled at Kendall confused face and continued. "It gets confusing, I know. My aunt and uncle have basically been my parents since I was young, so it just became easier to introduce them that way. I got used to it."

"I get it. So I should call your mom Lynn? Mrs. Zevon? Or should I just start calling her mom, because I'm pretty sure she's convinced that we're getting married." Dak's face flushed and he laughed.

"I'm so sorry about that. It's part of her rehab, I guess. Something about not filtering thoughts and emotions?"

"It's okay. I thought it was funny. You turned at least thirty different shades of red." Dak shoved him and he laughed a little harder.

"I'm already embarrassed, no need to rub it in."

* * *

The school day flew by fairly quickly, and to Kendall's surprise James' presence had been minimal. Of course, he was there in class, but his mind seemed to be somewhere else.

The band buzzed through practice, basically coordinating on whatever song came to mind.

"We should play-" Kendall was interrupted by a knock on the door. When he turned, he saw James and Jett lingering in the doorway. "What do you want?"

"To not be here in the dust ridden room with you freaks." James hit his stomach and said something to him that got him to go away.

"Really, what do you want? We have to practice."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Mom wants you home, right now." James swatted at Jett's hands that had slipped around his waist, with a disgusted sigh. "She said it's important."

"Well, I'll be home after practice. She knows that."

"Yeah, well no fooling around with your-" He scanned the room, shooting Dak a glare and waved sarcastically in his direction, before looking back to Kendall. "-_boyfriend_ or whatever. Straight home."

James swatted Jett's hands away once more before turning to leave the room. Kendall couldn't help but wonder if he'd have to say goodbye to his new friends tomorrow. It had been a little over two weeks, his usual allotted time in a foster home. Maybe Brooke had cracked and given up.

* * *

When Kendall got home, he dropped his bag near the door. He scanned the halls for anyone, finally coming across Brooke in the kitchen.

"Oh, you're home!" She got up from her seat and rushed to hug him. "I have something to tell you. You should sit down."

She led the blonde over to a chair and sat him down. Kendall had an uneasy feeling coming into this conversation, but now especially, he knew that something was really wrong. No one ever tells you to sit somewhere when they have good news.

"What's wrong?"

"Mrs. Foster called this morning, and we-"

"It's okay if you're sending me back. I'm used to it." She shook her head and sighed, reaching forward to grab his hands.

"She told me that your-" She paused for a minute. He assumed she was trying to figure out how to say it, whatever 'it' was, without hurting him. "Katie ran off, and they can't find her."

Kendall took a few breaths in, blinking and licking his lips, unable to move. He jerked his hands away from Brooke's and shoved them into the pockets of his hoodie before walking out of the room.

"Kendall, sweetie, please don't-" Before she could finish, she heard the front door slam. What a great way to start what would've been Kendall's first Family Friday night.

* * *

"Kendall?" Lucy repeatedly called his name before she realized that he wasn't going to respond. Kendall had spent the weekend alone, in the park. He got up and wandered to school just in time for the last period of the day, and skipped band practice to sit in the quad. "What the fuck's wrong with you man? You wander into school at 1:45, looking like shit and then just skip practice to sit out here?"

Dak shoots Lucy and glare, and Jo walks over and leans against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him.

"Something's wrong." Dak takes the other side, hesitantly slipping an arm over his shoulder. "Tell us?"

"That's what we're here for, man." Kendall looks over at Dak and the brunette sighs, taking in his appearance. His hair tousled, eyes dull and bloodshot, tear streaks down his cheeks, dark circles forming under his eyes. "Where have you been?"

"The park."

"All weekend?" Kendall nods and Dak sighs. "Did you sleep?" He shakes his head and Dak runs a lazy hand through his friend's hair.

"James has been worried." Kendall looks up at Jo and she nods. "He went over to Dak's place twice, asking for you."

"According to what he was telling his friends, his mom's hysterical. What happened?" Kendall wiped his nose with his sleeve and pulled it back down over his hand.

"My little sister's missing." Kendall stands and brushes his pants off. "She's all I have, and she's gone." The three of them don't follow when Kendall's starts walking toward home. They figure it's best to just give him time. Afterall, there's nothing they can do.

* * *

Kendall walks into the house through the back door and kicks his shoes off. He doesn't want to talk, he doesn't want Brooke's hugs, he just wants to sleep. Forever. James walks in and drops his bag by the door, eyes bulging when he looks up.

"Where the fuck have _you_ been?"

"Vacationing in the Bahamas." He sits on the bed, loving the warmth of the blankets on his skin, until James rips them away.

"Not funny, dickweed. You almost killed my mom." Kendall sat up, trying to pull the blankets back, but James tugged them down again. "Seriously, Kendall. You can't do shit like that and then come back and expect everything to be okay."

"Nothing's _okay_. In _my_ life, nothing's ever _okay_!" He stands, pushing James down onto his bed. "Why would I expect something to be okay when nothing ever is?" James kicks him over, and Kendall snaps. In mere seconds they're on the floor, rolling around, throwing punches at each other.

"What are you two doing!?" Brooke grabs Kendall and Mr. Diamond pulls James out of the room. Mrs. Diamond rushes to the bathroom, throwing a box of band aids, gauze, peroxide and roll of toilet paper down on the bed. She rolls a piece of tissue into a small ball and gently stuffs it into Kendall's left nostril, letting it soak up the blood running from his nose. Kendall's mind begins to wander when she starts her speech. Something about fighting being infantile and Cro-Magnon. His thoughts turned to Katie and his eyes started to water.

"I can't believe you two would hurt each other like thi-" She stopped, and sighed, wiping a tear from his cheek before moving the peroxide soaked pad to the cut above his eyebrow. He hissed and she rubbed the back of his head.

"You know, I'll never really understand what you're going through." Kendall looked up. "Or what you've been through."

She bandaged his wound, and packed all the things back into their boxes. "You're a strong kid, Kendall. Stronger than the average teenager. I'd like to think that James is that strong, but I know he isn't. He _could_ be, but he's never had to be . You've been through tons, and you're still a pretty cool kid."

"Thanks, Brooke." She nods, before pulling him into a hug.

"Sometimes bad things happen to great people to make them greater."

"Who said _that_?"

"Me." She laughs and pats him on the back. "You know, Kendall it's alright to cry. People may act like it's not, but it just means you're-"

"Human." He looks up at her and smiles. "My mom used to tell me that when my dad died."

They sit in silence for a while, with Brooke absent mindedly rocking Kendall back and forth like a child. He doesn't mind though, it makes him think more of his mother before she'd gotten sick. After a few minutes, Brooke got up to leave.

"You should get some sleep. You look tired." She kisses Kendall's forehead, and moves for the door.

"Brooke?" She turns, placing one hand on the door frame. "Why am I still here? I mean, any other family would've sent me packing days ago."

"Well usually you would've run away by now, right?" Kendall cocks his head, then nods. He would've. "What's _keeping_ you here?"

She smiles and disappears before Kendall can think of an answer. Maybe it was the nice house. Maybe it had something to do with Dak, Jo, and Lucy. Or maybe it was because of the Diamonds themselves, James included. What _was_ keeping him there?

* * *

On Tuesday morning, Kendall walked to Dak's house. He sat on the doorstep until the brunette walked out the door.

"Oh." Dak tripped over Kendall's sweatshirt, quickly grabbing on the railing to catch himself. "Crybaby, what're you doing here so early?" He put his hand over his heart, and took a few deep breaths before whacking Kendall's arm for laughing.

"I just thought I'd walk to school with you." Dak shrugged and threw his bag over his shoulder. "You really need to stop calling me 'Crybaby'."

"Fine, I'll just call you '_Baby_' instead." Dak laughed, extremely pleased with his '_insult_' until he realized why Kendall was laughing. "Kendall, that's not funny. You know what I meant."

"First inviting me back to your place, then your mom practically picking out the venue for our wedding, and now you're calling me baby? Geeze, Zevon. Buy me dinner first."

"Shut up, Kendall." The rest of the walk to school was short and quiet. When the two branched off for their lockers, Kendall shouted down the hall.

"I was serious, you know." Dak stopped, and turned around. "Buy me dinner, Zevon."

* * *

**And there we go. Reviews are awesome and you guys are all super duper cool beans. :3**


	5. V

Friday night, Kendall set out all of the clothes that he and James had gone shopping for. Sure, Dak was his friend and he had an obvious thing for him, but that didn't mean he shouldn't look his best.

James sauntered in, throwing himself down onto his bed. Kendall was glad that they weren't talking. No talking meant no fighting and they hadn't fought since their last big shebang.

"Those pants don't go with that shirt." He was surprised to hear the brunette's voice, and turned to see him still turned over.

"They're dark jeans, they go with everything." Kendall turned back and continued piecing his outfit together until James shoved him over.

"Not dark colors. You're white enough as it is, Blondie. You don't need to wash yourself out." Kendall backed up, giving James the reigns. "Just trust me."

Trusting James wasn't at the top of Kendall's Want To Do list, but he did anyway. If there was one thing James knew, it was how to dress well. Kendall would admit that. James left for school every day looking like a model in the same khakis and shirts that Kendall had, he just looked ten times better in them.

"With your skin, I'd stay away from really dark darks, and really light lights. You need neutrals."

"Neutrals?"

"Earth tones. Sky blue, forest green, tan, things like that. Actually-" He walked to the closet, throwing shirts onto the bed behind him until he'd found the one he wanted. He walked over, and shoved it against Kendall's chest, hard enough to throw him off-balance. "Yeah. Your eyes are green."

"Nice observation, Einstein. I already knew that." James laughed and guided him to the mirror. Kendall looked in, examining his eyes closer. "How'd you do that?"

James laughed again. "I didn't _do_ anything. Dark green makes your eyes look lighter, stupid."

Kendall took the shirt and walked into the bathroom to finish getting ready. "So where are you going?"

The blonde walked back into the room, finishing off the top buttons on the shirt. "Date."

"_You're_ going on a date? With who?"

"Why do you care?" James leaned back against the wall, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't. Just curious." He sat silently for a few minutes before his curiosity got the best of him. "Is it that Jo girl?"

"No."

"What about Lucy?"

"Nope." James sighed, he went through a list of the girls in their grade that Kendall would know.

"Is it one of the Jennifers?"

"Those robots that follow you and your boyfriend around?" James nodded and Kendall laughed. "I can't believe you'd think I'm that shallow. Do they even have brains?"

"One of them's _actually_ really smart. The brunette, she's the sensitive one, and then the blonde is the leader. So I guess they have _a_ brain."

"So you're saying I'd have to date all of them to be part of a balanced relationship?"

"Basically. They're a package deal." James laughed and Kendall smiled to himself. They were really having a cordial conversation. "So anyway, which girl are you taking out tonight?"

"Why do you assume it's a girl?" Kendall turned around, and was slightly surprised by how confused James seemed to be.

"Well, because you're straight. Right?" Kendall chuckled, turning back toward the mirror. "You aren't?"

"Not completely. Actually, I've dated more guys than girls."

"Oh."

"What?" Kendall turned around again, throwing his blazer over his shoulders before looking up at James. "I don't "seem" gay, do I?"

"I guess not. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked." James drummed his fingers against his leg awkwardly. "It's Dak, by the way."

"Seriously?" The blonde nodded and laughed when James threw his hands up. "I so called that!"

Kendall smiled. He looked at his watched and groaned, but he didn't know whether it was because he was running late, or because he didn't want to end his conversation with James. "I'd better go, Jeremy's probably waiting. See you later."

"Should I just tell mom you're sleeping over?" James wiggled his eyebrows and Kendall shook his head, and closed the door.

* * *

Their date went by far more quickly than Kendall had expected and wanted. Dates in the past were nerve-wracking, and he would usually embarrass himself majorly by the end, but being out with Dak was cool. They had fun.

"Has Lucy pranked you yet?"

"Not yet. You know, since you brought it up, I've really wanted to see what she'd do. So far she's done nothing."

"Wow." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Usually she's on top of stuff like that. I'd be careful next week."

"I'm ready for it." He looked over at Dak and smiled, the brunette doing the same. "I should probably get home. Brooke worries more since what happened last week."

"Oh, of course. Uh," He shifted awkwardly before leaning down to kiss Kendall's cheek. He quickly opened the door, and stepped inside. "See you on Monday, Kendall."

He waved at the brunette until the door closed and sauntered back to the car, throwing himself inside.

"You guys looked like you had fun."

"We did. It was nice." The rest of the short ride was silent. Kendall thanked Jeremy for the ride and walked into the house. Before he could even take off his shoes, James was there.

"So how was your little date?" He followed the question with kissy noises, both of them laughing until Kendall shoved him back.

"It was good."

"Just _good_? I put together that hot outfit and it didn't even come off?" Kendall rolled his eyes, kicking his shoes off.

"_Really_, James?" The brunette shrugged and Kendall sat on the foot of his bed. "It was our first date."

"But you guys are friends, which means that the first date isn't actually used to get to know each other." Kendall pulled his jeans off and threw them toward the hamper, before sliding under the covers.

"Why do you want to know, anyway? You don't have to pretend like you care, if that's what you're-"

"I'm not pretending." He sighed and sat up. "You know, coming into this whole "_my parents adopting_" thing was hard. I've been an only child for sixteen years, but after being alone for so long, you start to want siblings. Then being around Carlos' huge family all the time just made me want a brother more. When my mom told me that she was planning on adopting a baby boy, I thought it would be awesome. I'd get to teach him stuff and give him advice, help him with his homework. Stuff like that."

"But then you got me instead." James nodded.

"I didn't know what to do. I mean, there's nothing I can teach you and I highly doubt you'd want my advice. On top of that, we don't have much in common."

"So that's why you hated me?" James chuckled, fiddling with the tag on his blanket.

"I tend to channel my discomfort and confusion into anger sometimes." For a while, the room was quiet. Maybe James wasn't so bad, but why the sudden change? Kendall still didn't fully trust him whether he had 'changed' or not. He had still spent weeks tormenting him without even caring about his feelings. "I'm sorry."

Kendall turned back over, unsure if the words had actually come out of the brunette's mouth. "For what?"

"Being a shitty brother."

* * *

When Monday morning came around, Kendall had realized that James actually was making an effort to be a better brother. He'd offered a seat in his friend's car on the way to school, spotted Kendall some cash for lunch and invited him to sit with his friends. Of course Kendall had declined the ride and the lunch spot, but he was surprised by James' sudden brotherly behavior.

"Knight, spill." Lucy sat in the grass in front of Kendall, shoving a few fries into her mouth.

"Spill what?"

"Why is James being so nice to you? He just told you to sit with him for lunch, that never happens." Jo laid down her jacket and sat. "He's never nice to you."

"He told me that he wants to be a better brother." Kendall shrugged and took the pickles off of his burger, putting them on a napkin.

"Did he tell you why?" He shook his head, and took a bite of his sandwich, smiling when Dak sat next to him.

"Hey." Dak added, putting his tray down in front of him. "What are we talking about?"

"How James is suddenly interested in being a brother to Kendall."

"Maybe he changed his mind?" The brunette shrugged, smirking when he saw the pickles on his tray. "Thanks, Ken."

The blonde smiled. One thing he'd learned on Friday is that pickles were Dak's favorite food. Being his least favorite, Kendall had no problem giving them up, plus it made him look like a better boyfriend.

"So, what did you guys do this weekend?" Jo bounced over to the trash, throwing her water bottle in before turning back to the group.

"We, um-" Dak looked over to Kendall as if asking permission. The blonde didn't know why he seemed so nervous.

"We went out on Friday." He added, taking another bite of his burger.

"Went out? Like "_went out_" went out?" Kendall nodded. "Like a date?"

Dak agreed, throwing the remnants of his salad dressing packet in the trash. Jo threw herself onto the bench and folded her arms. "Damn it, Dak."

"It's not my fault, _he_ asked _me_ out." Lucy just laughed.

"They've been betting on who would have the balls to ask you out first." Kendall threw his lunch in the trash and laughed. He walked over to Jo and threw his arms around her.

"Well obviously I saved myself heaps of embarrassment, because he obviously likes Dak more." She turned her head away from Kendall, laughing when he tickled her sides.

"Oh Jo Taylor! Please find it in your heart to forgive me one day!" James walked over and cleared his throat, smiling when they all turned to him.

"Mom wants to know what you're doing after school."

"Band practice. Might hang out at Dak's for a while." He swatted at Lucy, who had formed a circle with her fingers and stuck her other index finger through repeatedly. "Why?"

"Just be home by five, alright?" He waved to everyone, then walked back the way he came.

* * *

Mrs. Diamond had wanted Kendall home so that she could tell him about the dozens of letters Kendall had never gotten from Katie.

"They said she never sent them. That they didn't know she even wrote them, but Mrs. Foster brought them over for you."

"She didn't read them?" Brooke flipped the envelope over.

"They're addressed to you. Legally, she can't." She patted his knee and stood. "I'll leave you alone to read 'em."

She kissed his forehead and left the room, shutting the door behind her. The first letter was from two years ago.

* * *

September 13, 2010

_Big brother -_

_I hate this place. It's crowded, and I can barely breathe._

_The Dugans smoke so much it's insane, even with an infant in the house. _

_Mrs. Dugan isn't that bad. She's just lazy. Mr. Dugan on the other hand is horrible. _

_He stinks, he's always drunk, and he really doesn't want us around. _

_There are four other kids here. Four! I was the fifth, and probably not the last. _

_They live in an apartment big enough for a family, but not this big. _

_School is alright. I get weird looks and I'm pretty sure everyone talks about me_

_because I'm "one of them". _

_I just wish I were with you. I hope things are okay at the home. _

_You'll find a family soon, Ken. I know it. _

_Then in a few years we'll be back together, if you still want me. _

_I'll count the days. _

_-Katie_

* * *

December 25, 2011

_Big brother- _

_The Dugans started off Christmas this year by telling everyone that Santa didn't exist. _

_As the oldest here, I felt like I had to tell the rest of the kids otherwise. _

_We didn't get presents, but they did order pizza, which is better than what Mrs. Dugan_

_usually throws together. A boy in my class asked me to the Winter Ball, but _

_I'm not allowed to go. I have to babysit. It would've probably been boring anyway. _

_Dresses and high heels. Gross. :)_

_I miss you, Ken. I miss mom and dad now more than I ever have. _

_Just a few more years, though, and we'll be together again!_

_I love you. _

_-Katie. _

_PS: Happy late birthday! :D_

* * *

October 5, 2012

_Big brother-_

_Well, happy birthday to me._

_The Dugans don't care, but the kids sang to me this morning. _

_Joey made me a card, and he stole one of Mr. Dugan's twinkies for me. _

_I really miss you, Kendall. I wished for you to come back for me soon._

_ I don't know what the point of saying that is because you'll probably never see this letter. _

_I just wish you were here. There's so much I want to talk to you about. _

_Kyle, the boy who asked me to the dance last year, asked me again._

_He's a sophomore, so you'd probably hate him, but he's really nice. _

_Fingers crossed that I can go this time._

_I hope I get to see you soon. _

_-Katie. _

* * *

October 15, 2012

_Big brother-_

_I can't take it here anymore. The yelling, the screaming._

_It's all too much. I'd rather live in a sewer drain than live here. _

_Part of me resents you for doing this to me, but you didn't know. You were only my age._

_You just wanted what was best for me, but this is the complete opposite. _

_I'm leaving tonight. I packed everything into my backpack and I'm leaving._

_Kyle gave me money for a bus ticket, but I don't know where to go. _

_At this point, I don't care. As long as it's away from here. _

_I love you. _

_-Katie._

* * *

Kendall felt responsible for his sister's entire situation. She was fourteen. The same age that he was when he first started running away. His parents would hate him for setting this kind of example. His parents would hate him for being so quick to send his baby sister away without him.

He folded the letters together, and slipped them under his mattress. He was living the life that his sister deserved, while she lived his. Kendall had been wishing and hoping to see her since the day she left, and now how would he find her?

* * *

**The ages are kind of wonky. I said in chapter 3 that Katie was 13, these letters were written after that. Kendall is 17, turning 18 in November of 2013. Katie is 14 now, and 3 years younger than Kendall. **

**It confused me, so if it confused you, I hope that clarifies. :)**

**Please review! I love hearing your thoughts and opinions. **


	6. VI

Kendall wandered into the kitchen for dinner, sitting himself down on the nearest chair.

"What's wrong?" He looked up to see James and Mrs. Diamond at the stove, cooking. Brooke pulled her oven mitts off, and walked over to Kendall. She took a seat next to him and ran a comforting hand over his back.

"I'm just trying to think." James brought food over, setting them down on the place-mats in the center of the table.

"About what? Maybe we can help." He sat on the other side of the table, and looked on.

"If I hated where I was living, where I would go." He looked up, laughing lightly at the expressions on the Diamond's faces. "I'm trying to find my sister."

"You have a sister?" Brooke and Kendall laughed, and James pouted. "No one tells me anything!"

"Yes, I have a sister, and she's missing." He brought his hands to his face and laid on the table. "If I were fourteen, hated where I was, and had the money to leave, where would I go?" The room was silent for a while, save for the beeping of the kitchen timer.

"I'd go home. I mean, that's what I'd miss most." James added suddenly. Kendall looked up. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're right."

* * *

It was a long ride to Fresno. Kendall had fallen asleep. He wasn't surprised that Brooke had given him and James the day out of school to drive cities away to find his sister. He just hoped that she was there. He was surprised that James had actually agreed to come. Maybe he was turning over a new brotherly leaf, or maybe he was only there because Brooke told him to go. Either way, he appreciated the company.

"We're here." Kendall looked out the window. His house looks exactly the way he remembered it. Nothing had changed. A few panels in the front fence were still cracked. The window cling from Halloween was still stuck between the window panes. Lightning's dog house was still sitting in the corner of the front yard. It was like time hadn't touched it.

He walked up the front steps and looked for the emergency key. Two steps to the left, taped under the window sill. It wasn't there, though. The blonde ran a hand through his hair, hoping that this meant that Katie was there. He knocked on the door, and when there was no answer, he motioned for James to follow him around back.

"If everything's exactly the same, the basement window should be broken." He kicked at the window, smiling when it shot open. "Just like old times."

"Blondie, I draw the line at breaking in."

"It's technically my house. It's in my grandparents will to keep in the family." He slid through the window, waiting in the basement while James slid in after him. "I used to sneak in after curfew this way."

They walked through the house with Kendall telling James stories about every scratch and dent in the wall. "We used to get away with a lot when my mom got sick."

"Did she spend a lot of time in the hospital?"

"No, she just never had the energy to punish us. We took advantage of her, we really did."

"You were kids." Kendall shook the thoughts from his head, not wanting to cry. As he made his way toward the stairs, he realized that if Katie wasn't here, he didn't know where to even begin looking for her and she didn't know where to find him. This was his last resort.

"Katie?" He called up the stairs, and waited for a response. An eerie silence fell over the two of them and Kendall rushed up the stairs, James following behind him. The blonde pushed all of the doors open; his parents' room, the bathroom, Katie's old room, then his. The door creaked open and Kendall peeked inside, nothing. Just the old bed, with the sheets thrown haphazardly around the room. He's assumed that someone had probably looted the place, or squatted once they left. Afterall, the neighborhood wasn't exactly the safest.

"You want a minute?" For a second, he'd forgotten that James was there. He nodded, and the brunette left, footsteps heavy on the stairs. Kendall sat and leaned against his old bed. For the first time in a few years, he prayed. Prayed that wherever his baby sister was, that she was safe. That hopefully one day, they'd see each other again, and things would be okay.

"Blondie!" Kendall flinched at the sound of the commotion downstairs. He ran down as fast as he could, pushing James away from the person he was fighting with.

"Katie, stop."

"I'm not going back! I'm not going back there!" She was flailing and kicking, repeating the phrase over and over. "You can't make me! Let me go!" Kendall tried to get her to stop, but she was feral, adamant about staying.

"Baby sister, it's me!" She stopped, taking a second to breathe before lifting her head. Her appearance was painful for Kendall to take in. She was thin, her once bright hazel eyes succumbing to dark circles. Her hair was long, and slightly matted, lacking the luster is had before. She looked worn out and tired. "It's me."

"Kendall?" He lifted her into his arms with ease, stroking her hair as she latched onto him. He could feel her tears soaking into his shirt, and he tried his best not to cry. He looked up, and James smiled, pointing toward the car before leaving. "I knew you'd find me."

* * *

The ride back was quiet. Katie slept the whole time, and the only reason that Kendall had stayed awake was to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He was also scared that if he closed his eyes, she'd be gone again when they opened. They made it back just in time for dinner.

"Hi, boys." Mrs. Diamond called from the kitchen. The boys walked into the kitchen, Kendall sitting Katie at the seat closest to the entrance. "You must be Katie." The girl nodded, meeting Mrs. Diamond's hand with her own.

"I'm gonna go get cleaned up." James patted Kendall on the back, and the blonde walked over to Katie, resting his chin on her head.

"So, Katie," Mrs. Diamond put the pizza boxes on the table, setting out four plates. "We've heard a lot about you. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks." Mrs. Diamond gestured to the food, letting her know that it was alright for her to take a slice. "Your house is amazing."

"Thank you, darling." Mrs. Diamond held her face in her hands and smiled. "Welcome home."

She walked off toward her office and closed the door, leaving Kendall and Katie alone in the kitchen. Kendall sat down in the chair next to her, grabbing onto her hand. She smiled before taking another bite of her pizza.

"So this is where you've been living?" He nodded, taking a slice for himself. "For how long?"

"Only two months. Barely." She nodded, looking around. "It's nice, I guess."

"You guess?" Kendall chuckled, handing her a napkin for the pizza sauce on her face. "Big brother, this place is a castle."

"Yeah, but what's a castle without a princess?" He pokes her nose, smiling when she giggles. James walked in, sitting across from the two of them. "Thanks for coming today, man."

"No problem. That's what brothers do." He smirked, turning his focus back to his pizza.

"I'm sorry I punched you." Katie added, guilt overcoming her. "It didn't hurt that bad, did it?" James laughed, pushing his hair to the side to show off the cut and forming bruise near his eyebrow.

"It wasn't that bad, though. You've got a mean right hook, Katie." She laughed, then coughed.

"Here." The brunette walked over to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and slid it in her direction. "Death by dehydration is more common than people think. Drink up."

After drinking the bottle down and finishing as much pizza as she could handle, Kendall gave her a tour of the house. He led her through the maze of rooms upstairs, showed her the library and living room. On the way to his and James' shared room, his phone rang. He pulled it out, immediately seeing Dak's face on the screen.

"Take it. I'll wait in the room." He smiled, kissing her forehead before leaving her, probably to rummage through his things. She took a seat on his bed, looking toward the door when James came in.

"Hey, kid." He threw himself back onto the bed, pulling his backpack with him.

"Hey." She watched him search through the bag for a while before speaking up. "How has Kendall been? Like behavior wise?" James sat up, a thoughtful expression forming on his face.

"Okay, I guess. He's always been nice and polite to my mom and dad. We got off on the wrong foot though."

"You did?"

"Well, I got off on the wrong foot, but I'm working on it." The brunette smiled, putting his bag back on the floor. "He kind of ran away, if that's what you're wondering."

"Why?" She folded her arms, scooting back until she was leaning against the wall.

"It was when he found out that you were missing." Katie looked down, pangs of guilt now hitting her harder. "He thought you were dead. But he came back after a few days."

"You must be really amazing, then." She smiled up at James, then turned to Kendall as he walked in the door.

"You guys weren't talking about me, were you?"

* * *

Later that night, Brooke had set Katie up in the guest room upstairs. Warm blankets, a working bathroom, a television; Katie was so happy that they'd been nice enough to let her stay. I was a nice change to be around a family that actually cares about the child's happiness, and Brooke cared more than they average parent. She'd tucked her in, kissed her forehead, then even apologized.

"I don't know if you're that comfortable with me yet, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Katie reassured, "I don't mind."

As if Mrs. Diamond hadn't opened her doors wide enough for Katie, who was a rogue ward of the state, she was kissing and tucking her in like she was her own child. The woman smiled, and pulled the covers up before explaining once more where everything she needed would be, then left.

Katie was used to sleeping alone. Completely alone, with no one around. No sound but the house settling. No lights. Nothing. Hearing Mr. Diamond snore in the next room was the most calming noise in the world. She slept soundly for a while, only tossing or turning when she got too warm.

When 3 A.M hit, her usual nightmare hit, the one where she watches her dad get shot over and over again until he's lying there in a pool of his own blood, looking up at her. She shoots out of bed, for some reason this panic attack's stronger than usual. She takes a few deep breaths and runs into the bathroom to splash some water on her face. Thinking she doesn't have Kendall to run to anymore, she goes through her usual regimen. Water, air, deep breathing. Water, air, deep breathing. She closes the window when she remembers that Kendall's just a few feet away.

She walked down the stairs quietly, and down the hallway leading to the boys' room. It's dark, and she rushes in quickly, finding the first body she comes in contact with and shaking him lightly. "I had a nightmare, can I sleep with you?"

Once she hears a sleepy, positive response, she slides in next to him, finally feeling safe. A hand runs through her hair, and now she's calm enough to sleep. Calm enough to sleep well, for the first time in what feels like years.

* * *

About an hour or two later, she's shaken awake by what feels like a small earthquake. "James?" The brunette looks up from the floor, smiling.

"Sorry to wake you. I work out before school." She nods and he returns to his push ups. She looks around the room, the sun lighting it a faint pinky purple, and sees her brother sleeping peacefully, across the room.

"I'm _so_ sorry." He stops, looking up again, confused. "I came in here last night looking for Kendall. I didn't mean to-"

"I figured that when you said '_Night, big brother_.'" He laughed and grabbed his water bottle, tying his sneakers tight before standing. "I didn't mind, kid. Made me feel like a real older brother."

"You want to be an older brother?" James nodded, wiping his face with a towel. "I thought all only children were spoiled and enjoyed solitude."

"Not me. Well, I am spoiled, but I don't like being alone. Not anymore."

"What made you change your mind?" James pulled his legs to his chest, leaning his back against Kendall's bed.

"I got lonely. iPhones are great, but they only occupy you for a while. Once that's over, you realize how mundane and pathetic your life really is."

"That's sad." James nodded. "I always wanted an iPhone."

James laughed and Katie laughed with him. Kendall laughed to himself, turning in the other direction so that they couldn't see that he was awake. Checking his watch, James got up.

"I've gotta start my run," After hesitating for a while, he leaned down and gave Katie a hug. "Get some sleep, Kates."

* * *

All throughout school, Kendall worried about Katie. Brooke had taken the day out of work to stay with her and figure out how they would make her adoption into the Diamond family legal, so he knew that she was in good hands, but he still couldn't focus.

After not being with his sister for years, all he could think about what being with her to make up for lost time. He unintentionally thrummed his pencil against the desk, watching the second hand tick around the clock.

"Hey," He jumped when Dak's hand touched on his shoulder. "Whoa, jumpy. You okay?"

"Yeah." He threw his books into his bag, and slung it over his shoulder. "Just anxious."

Dak nodded, telling him to go get a seat for lunch, and that he'd get his food for him. Kendall agreed, putting his stuff down at their usual table by the trees. He watched as Jo bounced over, and sat next to him, pulling out the contents of her lunchbox.

"I'm so happy for you, Kendo."

"For what?"

"James is telling everyone about how you found your sister." She gripped his shoulder, pulling him in for a hug. "I'm so happy that you guys are together again."

"James is telling people?"

"Yeah. He said that he'd never seen someone so dedicated to doing something before he went looking with you."

"Really?" Kendall turned toward Jo, resting his arms on the table. "What else did he say?"

"I don't know. When James tells stories, I never really listen because usually they're all about him." She shrugged and focused back on the sandwich in her bag. Dak walked over with Lucy, putting Kendall's tray down in front of him.

"Did your little sister really punch Diamond in the face?" Kendall nodded and Lucy laughed. "I want to meet her so bad now. She's my idol."

"Where's she going to school?"

"Here, once everything's all worked out." Kendall took the pickles off of his burger, putting them on Dak's tray. Kendall could hear his name being called from far off. He looked toward James' table, across the courtyard. He saw James, pointing toward the parking lot, and smiled when he saw Mrs. Diamond's car. "I'll be back,"

He walked over, jumping when James ran up behind him. Katie hopped out of the car, and Brooke set the lock.

"Shouldn't you boys be in class or something?" She smirked, and kissed Kendall's forehead, hesitating when walking over to James. "Is this alright, now? Or are you still too cool for this?" James laughs, and she ruffles his hair.

"So what are you guys doing here?" As James talked to Brooke, Katie practically sprinted to Kendall, giving him a hug. Kendall knew that codependency wasn't good, but they hadn't seen each other in years. Kendall thought that she was dead. That was a good enough reason to want to be with his only living family member, every minute of every day, right?

"We're temporarily enrolling her. She needs a school while the case goes on," When Kendall heard 'case', he put Katie down, turning to Brooke.

"Case? So they're fighting for her?" She nodded, rolling her eyes. "But they don't have a chance, right? I mean, they-"

"Technically everyone has a chance in court, but I _am_ Brooke Diamond." She smirks and motions for Katie to follow her. Kendall gives her another hug, and lets her go. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking up when James throws an arm around him.

"My mom's a killer in court." The blonde nods, looking at his feet. "She won't let them take her. Don't worry."

James pats his shoulder before running of toward his friends. '_Don't worry_,' That's what they told him when they diagnosed his mom, and he didn't. Look what happened there.

* * *

After band practice, Dak and Kendall spent some time at his house. Kendall set the controller down and sat back.

"Ken," The blonde looks up, and Dak shuts the X-Box down. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just distracted." He sits up and folds his hands into his lap, leaning his head on Dak's should. "I just got her back and they want to take her away again."

"Mrs. Diamond won't let 'em." He turned Kendall around to face him, holding his shoulders. "Especially not now that she's attached to her."

There was a moment of silence between the two of then, and they just sat facing each other. Before Kendall could process it, he looked up and Dak was moving in closer, connecting their lips and gripping at the hair on the nape of his neck. The blonde didn't know if it's a moan or a sigh that left his throat, but either way it seemed to propel Dak forward. He licked at the seam of his lips, and Kendall feels himself being pushed against the couch. The situation leaves him wondering where Dak's sudden gusto had come from. After a while, Dak backed away, breathing heavily.

Kendall smiled, leaning his head against the couch. "Oh."

"Sorry. I don't know why I did that." Dak ran a hand through his hair. He turned when Kendall started laughing. "I know, I'm a bad kisser." Kendall put a hand on Dak's shoulder.

"No, you're not." Kendall laughed again when Dak turned back to him. "It just surprised me."

"So you're sure I'm not just a terrible kisser?" Kendall nodded. "Really?"

"I kind of have the boner to prove it, Dak." The brunette blushed, hiding his face in his hands.

* * *

Walking home, Dak had repeatedly reached for Kendall's hand, only to retract and slip his hands into his pockets. When they'd gotten to the Diamonds, before Dak was ready to leave, Kendall stopped him, taking his chin between his thumb and pointer finger.

"Dak, you know I'm your boyfriend, right?" The brunette nodded. "Do you know what that means?"

"That we're dating."

"Yes, and that you can hold my hand, and kiss me whenever you want." He pulled the brunette into a kiss, suddenly hearing a _ooooh_ sound coming from the direction of the back of the house. The two turned around, seeing Katie and James' heads poking out of the back door, cheering and whistling. Kendall laughed, turning back to Dak. "You don't have ask first, okay?"

The brunette smiled and nodded, leaning in for another kiss before saying goodbye. When Kendall walked in, Katie jumped on him. "Why didn't you tell me that you have a boyfriend?"

"Because it's none of your beeswax." He pulled her off of his back, throwing her down onto the bed before walking toward the bathroom. "Dak said that his brother Drew will help you out at school. You guys are in the same class."

"Great. I'm gonna be that new weird transfer kid."

"Well, at least we're not that far into the year." James added, yawning. "It's not _that_ weird."

* * *

Kendall watched Katie close throughout her first day at Harrington. Drew was a good ambassador, walking her to all of her classes, sitting with her at lunch. Kendall was grateful, but at the same time he was pretty sure he had a crush on her, and he didn't know how he felt about that yet.

"How's she doing?" James popped up behind Kendall, making him jump. "She was really worried last night."

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"She figures you've had enough of her nightmares and worries. I told her that you didn't mind being there for her, but she didn't want to wake you." Kendall couldn't help but feel a little jealous, but seeing how happy Katie was making James was kind of worth it. He wanted to be a big brother and now he was. Kendall could deal with sharing Katie a little.

"Oh. Well, she seems to be doing fine. I'm a little worried about Drew though. He's a little handsy."

"Well, we'll just have to deal with that." Kendall looked up at James. "You know. It's our duty as older brothers." Kendall smiled. It excited him that he and James were getting along, wish James so accepting of brothering Katie as well, everything was perfect. Kendall felt like part of a family again for the first time in years.

* * *

**Here's anothe chapter. It's a little short, because I have no idea what you guys are thinking. I have like a 4/180 reviewer/reader ratio, so I'm trying to gauge my writing accordingly. **

**Please review guys, it really helps me to not only get your opinions and ideas but it also tells me if people actually want me to continue writing this, because after all, I already know how it ends so I don't need to write for myself. **

**Thank you ****JamesxKendallxKames3****, ****icanloveyoumorethanthis****, ****Mr. President 64****, and ****CUTE CARGAN LOVE**** for your reviews. **

**You're all cool beans :)-**


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